Breakthrough Tool used in California to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Developed by ICLEI, this breakthrough new Online Inventory Tool was created for California's Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC) to help meet the increasing demands of combatting climate change by saving communities both energy and money.

The free online application will help cities and counties throughout the Golden State accurately accurately measure the level of greenhouse gas emissions in their respective areas. The SEEC is a new initiative organized by three California non-profit organizations and four investor-owned utilities.

In a recent statement to the press discussing the value of the SEEC and the resources it provides, California director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA Michael Schmitz said, ''This tool is a breakthrough resource that finally meets long-identified needs among California's local governments. Municipal staff are eager for climate action tools and trainings, but their budget situations often don't allow them to pursue these resources.''

The Online Inventory Tool, along with a wide variety of other SEEC tools and trainiing programs like informative ''Quick-Start Guides,'' and detailed instruction manuals, are all available online at www.californiaseec.org. These important free resources will help cities and counties throughout the state to make measurable progress and reach necessary goals related to local climate change actions and energy conservation issues, even though budgets are very tight and additional funding cutbacks could be on the horizon.

With easy-to-use features that allow local governments to create in-depth reports of local greenhouse gas emission levels, which is one of the most essential steps in reaching predetermined goals surrounding climate change and pollution issues, the SEEC tool is tailored to the needs of California cities and counties. It will also help local governments throughout California successfully enact long-term plans to implement energy-saving strategies.

''We're setting the national standards for how local governments measure their greenhouse gas emissions and even their overall sustainability performance,'' said Martin J. Chavez, ICLEI USA executive director.

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